Original ArticleAre there universal parenting concepts among culturally diverse families in an inner-city pediatric clinic?
Section snippets
Methods
Between June and September 2002, 46 parents of young children attending an inner-city pediatric ambulatory clinic in the Bronx, New York, were recruited for this study from either the waiting areas or the examination rooms. All families had been scheduled for a primary care visit for their child. Parents were recruited and interviewed by two medical students who selected patients from the waiting areas after they had sat down and then asked parents for their permission to be interviewed. The
Results
The 11 themes were grouped under three broad headings: Parenting Philosophies (Box 3); Influence of American Culture and Perceived Opportunities for Children (Box 4); and Parenting Practices (Box 5). The four themes that reflected the most common parenting philosophies were teaching of family values and respect for elders, the importance of family, and the importance of religion and spirituality. While not a philosophy, the conflict between assimilation and cultural preservation was a prominent
Discussion
This study found that universal parenting philosophies and practices exists among this group of culturally diverse parents. These 11 themes may help frame an approach to providing anticipatory guidance and counseling of families from culturally diverse backgrounds by using these broad topics as openings to discuss individual needs and concerns. The specific themes found in this study are not all new, except for the reluctance of parents to use home remedies to treat their children's acute
Conclusion
A common ground or universality of parenting concepts among families from culturally diverse backgrounds existed in this study. Although there is always a need to respect and respond to the individual needs of all patients and families, these intersections of parenting philosophies and practices among families across cultures can offer health care providers a basis upon which to approach parenting issues pertinent to pediatric primary care. These findings of universality among culturally
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This project was funded in part by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
- 1
Mimi McEvoy is Principal Associate, Pediatrics, and Co-Director, Introduction to Clinical Medicine Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
- 2
Allison O'Neill and Connie Lee are currently fourth year medical students (second year medical students at the time of the study), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
- 3
Adriana Groisman is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
- 4
Kirsten Roberts is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
- 5
Kishwar Dinghra is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
- 6
Kathleen Porder is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.